Let’s get real. Whenever we scroll through K-beauty or influencer feeds, certain names keep popping up, but Elina Karimova (aka 리나대장 or RinaDaejang) deserves every bit of the spotlight she’s stealing.
Born in Uzbekistan on April 22, 1998, to a mother of Uzbek-Ukrainian-Russian heritage, Elina moved to South Korea at the age of four.
From TCK to Internet Star
Elina grew up as a true third-culture kid (TCK), juggling languages, cultures, and perspectives. She speaks Russian and Korean at a native level, plus Japanese and English, making her a total polyglot.
Her childhood in Korea, combined with her mother’s Uzbek background, gave her a multicultural lens and a close-knit circle of Russian and ex-Soviet friends. She even regularly chats with them in Russian.
How It All Began
Elina’s public career kicked off at 19 when she started modeling for beauty brands. She quickly realized her charm wasn’t just on the runway, sharing snippets of her daily life on YouTube gave her fans a peek behind the curtain. But TikTok?
That’s where she went viral. Short, snappy videos showing her humor, dancing, and style had fans hooked almost instantly. She is loved so much that fan accounts have also surged.
Elina Karimova’s Social Media Empire
Her numbers speak for themselves:
- TikTok: ~13 million followers
- Instagram: ~3.4–3.6 million followers
- YouTube: ~1.2 million subscribers
Altogether, that’s roughly 1.8 times the population of Seoul tuning in to Elina’s content.
Creator Philosophy: Why Elina’s Different
Elina isn’t just posting for likes. She’s strategic, and she knows exactly how to play each platform:
- TikTok: Meme-driven, trend-heavy content that grabs attention fast
- Instagram: Everyday life, personal updates, and style inspiration
- YouTube: Carefully crafted videos showcasing talent, personality, and creativity
Every video, even those under a minute, is crafted with her audience in mind: will they watch till the end? Will they comment? She studies viral music, trending clips, and popular memes, then flips them with her own “Elina twist.” From outfits and locations to camera angles and editing, she plans every detail to keep fans engaged.
Career Milestones & Collaborations
Elina has racked up impressive achievements beyond social media:
- Model for AprilSkin and MLB Korea
- First “Character of the Month” in Sudden Attack (Oct 2019)
- Ambassador for the 58th Grand Bell Film Awards
- Global Ambassador for the 32nd Seoul Music Awards
- Publicity Ambassador for the 17th DIMF and SeoulCon 2023
- Model for cosmetics brand Gonghuha
- Participated in PiHouse, the Korean creator collective similar to the U.S.-based Hype House
She’s also rubbed elbows with fellow influencers like Dasha Taran and Choi Miranda, sharing photos and collabs that fans love.
Personal Life & Interests
Off-screen, Elina’s life is just as interesting. She’s a gaming fan (hello, PUBG), a die-hard Atlético Madrid supporter, and a devoted K-pop and anime fan, especially MAMAMOO and BLACKPINK. She even spent six to seven months living in Japan, soaking in more international experiences.
Her family life is just as photogenic: her younger stepsister, Jang Yuna, is also a social media star and model, and their mother is stunning enough to rival her daughters.
Elina’s blonde locks and striking features often have people guessing if she’s fully foreign or mixed. While that remains a mystery, it has been confirmed however that she holds naturalized South Korean passport, earned alongside her mother.
Apart from modeling, Elina has a passion for music. She has a YouTube channel where she uploads vocal covers of popular songs. Her singing style is soft, melodious, and engaging, earning her appreciation from fans worldwide.
Fun Facts & Extras About Elina Karimova
- Striking figure, often flaunted in bikinis
- Originally dreamed of being a singer before modeling and social media took over
- Presented awards alongside Ahn Jae-wook at the 2023 Daegu International Musical Festival Awards
- Regularly shares childhood photos, highlighting her and her mother’s beauty
- Covers popular songs like Younha’s “Event Horizon”
Pi House: Elina Karimova’s Creative Collective
Elina Karimova isn’t just killing it solo. She’s also part of Pi House, a Korean content creator collective known for highly stylized skits, lip-sync videos, and choreographed dance performances. They even released a music video with an original song.
The group has amassed over 2.4 million followers on TikTok, making it one of Korea’s standout creative houses in the social media space.
Founded as what they describe in their Instagram bio as “국내 최초 크리에이티브하우스” (“the nation’s first creative house”), Pi House spans multiple domains including art, sports, singing, acting, influencing, and modeling. Their presence extends across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, giving fans a multi-platform experience of their creativity.
Some of their viral highlights include:
- A Pitbull-themed video from September 2021 that racked up over 1.5 million views
- A Valentine’s Day dance routine showcasing their choreography and stylish performance skills
- Playful outdoor dance videos featuring coordinated moves and signature Pi House energy
The group consists of five members, with sources suggesting the lineup includes Kim Hyemin, Jongkey, Kelly Kim, Jeon Changha, and Elina Karimova. YouTube compilations of their TikTok content confirm Elina’s active role in the group, showing off her dancing, performance skills, and collaborative creativity.
Being part of Pi House allows Elina to blend her solo influencer work with group projects, expanding her reach and versatility while demonstrating her ability to thrive in collaborative, trend-driven creative spaces.
UPDATE: It appears Elina left Pi House and any content with her has been deleted off their official TikTok page.
Controversy: Is She Really Korean?
Of course, no influencer profile is complete without a little drama. Some fans have debated whether Elina Karimova is actually Korean, thanks to her striking blonde hair, sculpted features, and international vibe. While many assumed she was a foreigner, the truth is a bit more nuanced….and juicy.
Elina was born in Uzbekistan to a mother of Uzbek-Ukrainian-Russian heritage and supposedly a Korean father. However, I have not been able to scrape the web for pictures with her father, just her mother (seen in the photo stills in the TikTok below).
She moved to Korea at age four and gained citizenship alongside her mother. Legally and culturally, she’s Korean, but that hasn’t stopped the internet from gossiping about her “foreign” looks.
In a interview with her sister Yuna, Elina clarifies that she is a naturalized Korean but does not mention if she has an ethnic Korean father.
(A fellow commenter stated that Yuna is half Korean but Elina is not., but again I haven’t seen them confirm this).
Whether you see her as a homegrown talent or an exotic beauty, the whispers only add to her allure and her fans can’t get enough.
Are you following Elina on socials?
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